If you're up for some additional stuff, I've got the Dutch & Belgian Brigades here:
http://www.fireandfury.com/orbats/latedutchbelgorbat.pdfAnd Burma stuff here (7th Armoured Brigade, 50th Indian Tank Brigade, 254th Indian Tank Brigade, 255th Indian Tank Brigade and other bits and pieces):
http://www.fireandfury.com/painting/burmaarmypaintingguide.pdfSomething I'd add is that after Normandy a general order went out to independent brigades to change their serials to the same as Armoured Divisions (i.e. 50-54 on a red square). However, that order was only partially obeyed. 33rd Armoured Brigade definitely did so. 6th Guards Armoured Brigade also followed the order, but added the white 'Army Troops' bar across the bottom. 31st Tanks didn't follow the order, as they'd already been transferred to 79th Armoured Division and 30th Armoured Brigade (Sherman Crabs) was already using that scheme. 34th Tanks just disregarded the order and kept the same markings to the end of the war.
A lot of the formation signs were also slightly different when painted on vehicles, as opposed to when worn as a uniform badge. For example, the 1st Polish Armoured Division painted its divisional sign on an upright white rectangle, though when worn as a badge if was like your version, without the white backing.
2nd Polish Armoured Brigade had a formation sign, but never painted it on tanks. It was only painted on support vehicles and worn as a uniform badge.
6th Guards Tank Brigade tanks carried the 2nd Army (light blue cross on white shield with downward-pointing sword) shield in addition to their own brigade shield.
8th Armoured Brigade painted its fox-head badge in a yellow rectangle immediately above the serial number, rather than as a separate (circular) sign. The circular version was worn as a uniform badge, however.
22nd Armoured Brigade of 7th Armoured Division had its own brigade sign of a red stag's head on white rectangle, that was painted immediately above the unit serial. They also then painted the 7th Armoured Division sign in the usual place.
31st Tank Brigade's serials should have the diagonal stripe coming from the opposite corners (top-left to bottom-right), indicating Army Group Troops (bottom-left to top-right indicates Lines of Communication Troops). If it's any consolation, I painted my own Churchills wrong!
There should also be a break in the stripe so that it doesn't obscure the serial number. I've shown them on here:
http://www.jemimafawr.co.uk/2020/04/23/churchill-tanks-in-nw-europe-1944-45-part-2/33rd Armoured Brigade painted a fine white line around its green & black 'diablo' sign.
You could also add 1st Czechoslovak Armoured Brigade Group to your list. They landed at the end of the Normandy Campaign and spent the rest of the war besieging the German garrison of Dunkirk. Their formation sign was a 'square' chequered shield, which was divided into nine red & light blue squares (light blue in the corners and central square, the others red), superimposed with a white heraldic lion rampant and edged in white. There was a very small heraldic shield on the lion's chest. This was often painted in white outline only, without the red & blue bits. Serials were as for the Armoured Brigade of an Armoured Division (50 to 54 on red squares), plus 45 on green-over-blue for the recce squadron, 41 on cobalt blue for the engineer squadron, and red-over-blue for the artillery elements - 73 for the AA Troop, 74 for the Field Arty Regt and 77 for the AT Bty.
I hope this helps. You really have done a fantastic job!
18 January 2012, 05:16:33 PM